Tool



G. G. SMITH July 27, 1948.

TOOL

Filed May 22, 1946 ff dydah 61 8277123 ATTD R N EYE Patented July 27, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a t 2,446,143 I l y a )1] TooL Graydon G. Smith, Lebanon, Pa. ApplicationMay 22, 1946, Serial n 671,5t56

This invention relates to a pointing tool for use by stone masons and brick layers, itbeing one objec't'of the invention to provide a tool by means of which mortar maybe removed from a supply of mortar on a mortar board and easily applied to a joint and then smoothed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pointing tool of such construction that the morfl tar may be removed from the mortar board by merely forcing end portions of blades into the mortar, the blades being inserted between bricks orsto-ne blocks and pressure applied to handles for shifting a bar between the blades outwardly and thus forcing the mortar into the space between the bricks or blocks and the tool being then reciprocated longitudinally of the bar for smoothing the exposed surface of the mortar.

Another object of the invention is to so form the tool that a handle for the body portion of the tool and a handle for the bar may be grasped in a persons hand and pressure applied to the handle of the bar to force the bar outwardly and expel the mortar from between blades of the body portion of the tool,

Another object of the invention is to provide a pointing tool of simple construction which is efficient in operation and may be manufactured at small cost.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side view of the improved pointing tool.

Figure 2 is a view looking at one end of the pointing tool.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4. is a view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a bar square in cross section.

This improved pointing tool has a body 1 formed of sheet metal and provided with side walls 2 and 3, end walls 4 and a rear wall 5, the

rear wall being formed from inwardly bent por tions of the plates from which the side Walls are formed. Forward portions of the side walls project forwardly beyond the end walls 4 and these portions of the side walls are free and form blades '6 adapted to fit into mortar joints between faces of bricks or stone blocks of a wall. The side walls are formed with openings 1 and 8 in opposed relation to each other, and referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that a tongue out from the side wall 3 to form the opening 8 is bent inwardly to form a finger hold 9 which is curved transversely 3 Claims. (01. 72-438) and passes through the body with itsfree end portion projecting from the side wall 2 in spaced relation to the rear end ofthe opening l;

Abar Ill extendslongitudinally through the body between the blades 6 and has its endpora tions ll projecting from opposite ends of the body and bent so that they are curved and extend at a rearward incline, asshown in Figures 1 and 4; This bar in may be round in cross section in a tool usedifor pointing joints of a brick wall or square in cross section in a tool used for pointing joints between blocks or a stone wall; The front surface ofthe bar may also be of other specific configuration ifso desired;

This bar lllhas a handle I2 formed from a metal bar bentto U-shape. The bridge I 3 of the handle extends longitudinally of the body in rearwardly spaced relation thereto, and its arms l4 slidably enter the body through openings in the rear wall '5. Front ends of the arms are fixed to the bar Ill and in order to normally hold the bar in a retracted position there have been provided helical springs I5 coiled about the arms I4 with their front ends bearing against washers I1 and their rear ends abutting washers or collars l8 which fit about the arms against ends of the bridge l3. A hand hold l9 formed of sheet metal and curved transversely is soldered along the bridge of the handle l2 and since this hand hold and the finger hold are both curved transversely, they may be readily grasped and pressure applied to force the handle forwardly and move the bar ill to the extended position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1.

When this pointing tool is in use, it is held in one hand with the hand hold I 9 against the palm of the hand and the fingers of the hand engaged about the finger hold 9. The blades 6 are dipped in a supply of mortar upon a mortar board and since these blades are resilient, they will be yieldable and may have pressing contact with mortar between them and cause the mortar to remain between the blades when the tool is withdrawn from i the supply of mortar on the mortar board. The

blades are then thrust into a crevice between bricks or stone blocks of a wall and pressure applied to the hand hold I 9 to force the handle forwardly and move the bar I ll towards the extended position. As the bar moves outwardly, mortar will be expelled from between the blades 6 into the crevice to form a mortar joint and by shifting the tool longitudinally, the exposed surface of the mortar between the bricks or the stone blocks will be smoothed. In view of the fact that the protruding end portions of the bar Ill are bent rearward, they may ri-de easily over the mortar and smooth the mortar without the mortar piling up in advance of the tool as it is shifted longitudinally. After the mortar has been inserted between the bricks or stone blocks and smoothed, a fresh supply of mortar is obtained from the mortar board and squeezed into the joint, this being repeated until the joint has been fully pointed.

What is claimed is:

1. A pointing tool, comprising a body having side walls, end walls and a rear wall, the side Walls having forward portions extending beyond the end walls and providing blades for the .body, a

tongue out from one side wall and bent to form a curved finger hold passing through the body and through an opening in the other side wal-l, a U- shaped handle having its bridge portion spaced from the rear wall and its arms slidably passing through the rear wall, springs about the arms between the rear wall and the bridge urging the handle rearwardly, a transversely curved strip carried by the bridge and constituting a hand hold projecting from opposite sides of the bridge, and a bar fixed to front ends of said arms and extending longitudinally through the body between the blades and having end portions projecting from ends: of the body across front ends of the end walls and curved rearwardly.

2. A. pointing tool, comprising a body open at its front and having side walls and end walls, blades at front ends of the side walls projecting forwardly beyond the end walls, said side walls being formed with openings and one carrying a finger hold along the upper end of its opening and extending through the body and outwardly through the opening of the other side wall, a U- shaped handle having its bridge spaced outwardly from the rear end of the body and its arms entering the body and slidable therein, springs about the arms urging the handle outwardly, and a bar fixed to front ends of said arms and extending longitudinally through the body between said blades with end portions projecting outwardly across front ends of the end walls and curved rearwardly.

3.. In a pointing tool, a body open at its front end and having side walls and end walls, blades at front ends of the side walls projecting forwardly "beyond the end walls, said side walls having finger holds, a handle having a portion spaced outwardly from the rear end of the body and having arms cnteiing'the body and slidable therein, springs about, theharms urging the body outwardly, and a bar fixed to front ends of said arms and extending longitudinally through the body between said blades with end portions projectin outwardly across front ends of the end walls and curved rearwardly,

GRAYDON G.. SMIITI-lt,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS,

2,373,971 Moore Apr. 17, 1945 

